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If you are starting to struggle to get out of bed for your first client training session or are easily frustrated when working with them, then you could be experiencing burnout. Medium.com describes how burnout is quite common among personal trainers due to long 6am-to-8pm shifts. Most gyms also require trainers to meet personal training session quotas but don’t typically give paid vacations. Another added pressure is that people tend to have a stereotype of you, thinking that working out is all you do.
Dealing with these factors for extended periods can cause burnout fast, especially if not addressed immediately. To help you prevent burnout, it’s important to take care of yourself as well. Below are a few ways how:
Having a gym that pays you flat rates may sound more stable than offering online personal training services, however, a previous article here on WeStriveApp.com explains that you’ll be able to work anywhere and train hybrid (both online and in-person) clients with the online arrangement. You can even boost your income by accepting more new clients from around the world. Though this seems counterintuitive, you actually don’t need to constantly keep an eye on them — new clients will need your guidance on proper form and counting reps, of course, but once you’ve deemed them self-sufficient, you can offer to create an individual program for them. This means you don’t have to be around when they work out. Apps like WeStrive can help you build and keep track of their fitness and nutrition programs.
6am to 8pm shifts may include 30-minute or hour-long gaps between sessions, but quick naps, snacks, and cups of coffee aren’t enough to carry you through your day. And living that way is simply unhealthy as you’re not giving yourself enough time to recover from the previous day’s exhaustion. As SymptomFind.com points out, working fewer hours a day or having a full day off gives you more room for a work-life balance. This also entails better mental and emotional health. If you’re already only working eight-hour shifts, you can still consider cutting it down to four to six hours, which is the approximate number of hours we’re most productive. One thing you can do is to be strict with your time and tell clients when you’re available instead of asking them for their free time.
In your hectic schedule, devising workout and nutrition plans (as long as you’re also certified to give nutritional advice) for your clients, you may be forgetting your own fitness and nutrition. Once you’ve fixed your work schedule and learned to be firm with your time, you now have more of it to pay attention to your health and practice what you preach. Remember to stay hydrated, especially if you’ve been consuming a lot of caffeine. If you spend most of your time in the gym, going outside, whether you’re exercising or just visiting your local park, will help you unwind.
Make sure to add downtime to your schedule. Outside of exercising and doing chores, hobbies are a great way to utilize time. ThriveGlobal.com discusses that making time for hobbies makes you happier and more productive. Hobbies are fulfilling and creatively stimulating for a person, helping reduce stress. You can also create and maintain relationships — such as readers getting together at book clubs and language learners practicing together or interacting with native speakers. Hobbies can also be a way to connect with clients who have the same interests. For example, if the both of you like cooking, you can exchange recipes or discuss how you can make healthier versions of chocolate brownies and lasagna.
Want to up your Health & Fitness? Check out these articles:
About the Author:
Regene Jovina works a full-time job and is the mother of two lovely kids. Even so, she makes an effort to squeeze in workouts throughout her daily routine. She loves doing yoga and has recently started jiu jitsu.
